Maureen Reed for Congress

When U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann visited St. Cloud on Thursday, she met a wide range of constituents - from veterans to elementary school children.

Bachmann also sat down for a 15-minute interview at Lincoln Elementary School in St. Cloud that afternoon. She talked about the need to start discussions on sustaining Social Security and Medicare, about her positions and ideas related to health care changes, what she has accomplished for the 6th District and working with Democrats.

Bachmann, a Republican from Stillwater, is seeking a third term in Congress. Sen. Tarryl Clark of St. Cloud and Maureen Reed, a doctor from Grant, are seeking the DFL nomination. Troy Friehammer, a Stearns County employee from Sartell, is running as an independent.

Listen to: entire Michele Bachmann interview

Question: You had raised some concerns about the government's ability to sustain Social Security and Medicare. Tell me about some of the options that you would propose to continue to provide health coverage and financial support for seniors and reduce the burden on the federal government.

Answer: What we know right now (is) that going forward, Social Security and Medicare will be bankrupt and they will be broke. Congress has not yet put forth a credible plan, so seniors won't be put in an enviable position. We have to take up the issue and we need to address it. There are a number of proposals on the table. One, my colleague from Wisconsin Paul Ryan has a proposal. I have taken a look at that. I am open to a number of different ideas. The one thing we do know, the current system isn't sustainable. The system is going to be dead broke by 2017.

We need to keep faith with those on Social Security and Medicare and make sure federal government keeps its promise. For those within 10 years of receiving those programs, they need to be kept on (the) same terms as before. We know we can't sustain this going forward. For those younger than those ages, we have to reform the system so the monies they put in they will receive.

Q: Name three bills or amendments that you have gotten passed that are the most beneficial to the people of the 6th Congressional District.

A: I was involved in a foster care amendment to support and encourage people in foster care. It is a very important issue. Sen. Mary Landrieu, (D-La.) and I are working on the Haiti situation. We are trying to put together initiatives so that children can actually go into homes and not stay in institutions their whole life. I was able to pass this resolution honoring people in foster care. I am in the deep minority in Congress and a fairly new freshman, so I don't have substantive bills that I have passed. I would love to. The very first bill I introduced was the Health Care Freedom of Choice Act.
Voting Record

Q: The 6th District has had a high level of homes that have been foreclosed on. What role should the government play in that and what is it that you can do as the congresswoman in the 6th District to help people who may have lost their home or may be in jeopardy of losing their home?

A: It is a real difficult situation for people and it is real tragic. The 6th District has had a high level of foreclosure because we are the fastest-growing district in the state. When you have high growth - we had the highest number of single-family homes built in my area - it makes sense that those are the homes that have the foreclosures. The best thing we can do is turn the economy around. If we can turn the economy around and have job creation and job growth, then people will be able to purchase these homes and stay in them. A lot of the reason we are seeing foreclosure problems now is people have lost their jobs.

Q: Is there anything in the House health bill that you can support? What provisions would there have to be in a bill to support some type of health care changes?

A: I have a proposal that could be part of a compromise. Any American can buy any health care policy from anyone they want in any amount they want in any state they want. I would do away with the barrier that prohibits people from buying insurance policies in other states. That is true choice, that is true competition, I would allow people to pay for their health care premiums, their co-pays, their hearing, their vision, anything related to health care, I would allow people to have health savings accounts so they can purchase their health care tax-free up to whatever level they need. I think it is important that people pay for their premiums, pay for their co-pays out of that.

People should be able to fully deduct their health care expenses on their taxes. Allowing people to have their health insurance at least on the same basis as their car insurance. Everyone owns their own car insurance today. I think people should be able to own their own health care plan just like they own their car insurance. A lot of people are tied to their jobs just because of their health insurance. I would like to see people have more control.

Q: Is there anything in that (health care) bill that passed out of the House that you can support or not?

A: The bill does not include those three items. I reject a lot of things the bill has. I think the bill will drive up costs and reduce access to health care. This doesn't answer the whole health care problem. Just getting started, if we would just do this (proposal from the previous question), we would drop the cost immediately and more people would have control over their health care.

Q: How interested are you in working with the Democratic majority in Congress and the president in passing legislation?

A: Very. Now the Republicans are in the deep minority. Although the American people have been rejecting the policies that have been coming out of the Obama administration in poll after poll. The American people have said very clearly they are rejecting the job-killing government takeover of health care. It's important to remember we serve the people. We make our decisions by the consent of the people we serve.

Q: Can you demonstrate how you have worked with Democrats and the president to advance legislation?

A: I've signed onto legislation. I've been a co-author on legislation with my Democrat colleagues and I have supported bills. People think that it is all a boxing match when we are in Washington, D.C., but it really isn't. A great number of bills we agree on. It is important we all have our principled viewpoints. I work with my colleagues, and Democrat colleagues have signed on to my legislation, too.